Meltdown
by Megamafan16
Summary: A new Autobot has come to Earth claiming to be a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough...in the research of Dark Energon! Does Flame really know what he's doing, or is he a mad scientist blind to the dangers of playing with the Blood of Unicron for science? Somewhat episode-like, based of UK comic arc 'City of Fear,' rated T for horror scenes later. NOW COMPLETE, Please review!
1. Chapter 1

Note: I only own this version of the character 'Autobot Flame.' The original version of the character, from the UK 'City of Fear' arc in the G1 comics, is owned by Marvel UK (I think). Aside from that, Transformers and all other associated terms are Hasbro's property.

Also, I may have picked and chose aspects of the books and games for the backstory, but I am primarily staying true to the cartoon here, and contradictions are present.

Also also, this takes place after Operation Bumblebee Part II.

* * *

_Long ago, Primes only ever touched the Matrix of Leadership once, to imbue themselves with the knowledge and wisdom of their predecessors and thus plan out their rule. These Primes were not chosen by the Matrix itself, but rather by the Autobot High Council of Iacon, who would send their choices to the core to receive the blessing of Primus. The only Prime who didn't go through such a ceremony was Optimus, as he merely made the journey to protect Primus from Megatron and ask for guidance. Optimus then took the Matrix from the ailing core for safekeeping, and rallied the Autobots to defend against the Decepticons._

_Before Optimus, however, the Prime was little more than a figurehead. Sentinel Prime, or Zeta Prime as he was commonly known, was a recluse after the introduction of the guild-run caste system. As such, the task of government fell to the High Council more often than not. As it did when they heard the case of an impetuous young Autobot scientist, who was requesting the use of a Council-owned space station as research space._

"_I have pleaded time and time again, said that my research cannot continue without that station, and still you deny my grant?" the scientist asked indignantly that day._

"_It is the opinion of the Council that you, with your research, are treading into territory too dangerous for Autobots of any caste, mold, or disposition." replied Councilor Drivetrain._

_The scientist stepped backwards in disbelief; "Have I not shown the safety procedures repeatedly, in extensive detail? What more do you ask for?"_

"_Obedience to the will of Primus, for one thing. We are his creations, and as such are to follow-"_

_The scientist rudely interrupted Councilor Xaaron: "Your function is to govern, not preach!" he said as he bared his dentalwork._

_The other Councilors drew back offended. "What insolence!"_

"_This sort of outburst is another mark against you, I'm afraid." squeaked the Minicon member of the Council, Ratbat._

_The scientist growled, then took a deep breath, and apologized. "I...just do not see at all why you continue to scrape for all these obscure reasons to oppose me. This is a question of the sort that scientists are supposed to answer! I cannot, in good conscience, leave it unanswered! Since when has the High Council been so opposed to science?"_

"_To be blunt, since scientists such as yourself began sowing the seeds of Cybertron's downfall." said Xaaron with a hostile tone._

"_Are you truly so blind?" the scientist asked, genuine bewilderment on his face; "I do not seek to break Cybertron down, but rather, prove how strong it's been built up! My success would demonstrate how far Autobot science has progressed, since it could conquer such a mystery!"_

"_And," added Councilor Traachon, "elevate your name to greatness as well."_

_The scientist chuckled a little at this remark: "Why not? Name one who is capable of seeking such glory, and doesn't seek it! I dare say that you cannot! If it were not me who would be given that honor, some other Autobot would claim it by his own merits! Really, the more this goes on, the more I wonder why I am the first to suggest it."_

_The Councilors began to murmur among themselves, while the scientist waited with waning patience._

_Eventually, Ratbat raised his miniscule voice again: "To be honest, after hearing this guy, I begin to see him as the sort who won't be deterred by anything. If he were denied here, he would begin his experiments illegally. Perhaps we should...oh, I know! I propose we have him under official oversight for the full duration of the experimental period! That way we can be sure he isn't causing us any problems!"_

_Xaaron shot a strange look at Ratbat...and then sighed, and said: "I see your point. But it must be strict oversight."_

"_I think I can work with that," said the scientist, who then secretly whispered to himself: "Way to stick up for me, Ratbat. I guess those were credits well spent."_

"_Then we are agreed?" Councilor Halogen asked his fellows, at which point the council began to murmur again...this time, in agreement._

_A breem later, the council voted, in favor of the proposition. "It is settled, then." said Halogen. "Flame, you are to be given the full access to Trypticon Station for use in your experiments, with the Seekers providing security detail and Council oversight. If an experiment is vetoed, you are forbidden from performing it without harsh penalties. Respect our concerns, and we will respect your right to do research on this matter."_

_Then, upon a gesture from Halogen, a glowing disc floated up from the floor: the permission key, which the scientist graciously accepted. He stored it in a compartment in his right arm, and bowed; "Thank you, Halogen. And I will follow the latest safety and emergency procedures to ensure that vetoes are unnecessary. And remember, you may do as you wish with the data I acquire, but rest assured that I will get that data. I will not rest until I, Flame, have discovered the secrets..."_

"_... of Dark Energon."_

_And with that, the scientist known as Flame left with the permission key, and the meeting was adjourned. Afterward, Xaaron was seen mumbling to himself:_

"_Primus help us all."_

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TRANSFORMERS PRIME

MELTDOWN

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After a little ringtone, Agent Fowler's voice came from the loudspeakers of Autobot Outpost Omega-1: "_Prime, ya there?_"

Optimus responded, and Fowler continued: "_Remember the briefing you gave me about the Cybertronian Relics? Well, Military boys found something in Lake Erie, I wonder if it's one of the things you're looking for._"

"Are you sure, Fowler?" asked Ratchet, "We did not pick up an Iacon homing beacon."

"_Well, it's alien tech at any rate, and if I were you, I'd come over and give it a look before Soundwave gets wise._"

…...

Less than a minute later, a truck mode Optimus Prime returned from the (freshly-evacuated) base, dragging the machine behind him on a flatbed trailer: an upside-down pyramid with a triangular base, with a blue, glowing prong extending from each corner. Optimus dragged it in front of Ratchet, then reverted to robot mode.

When Ratchet asked if Optimus recognized it, Optimus answered: "Ratchet, I believe this is an Autobot transmitter-decoy. Briefly employed by Autobot spies during the middle parts of the war so they could safely communicate with Headquarters, until the Deceptions seized them all and destroyed them."

"Well, hand it over so I can check for booby traps." said Ratchet in a 'let's-get-this-over-with' tone, eager to get back to his own work; he did _not_ want to miss a _real_ Iacon homing beacon, on the off chance that the next relic the Decepticons unearthed was another artifact of the Primes.

Regardless, Ratchet pulled out his specially-tuned scanner and waved it over the transmitter-decoy...and was surprised when Cybertronian code began jumping across the scanner screen!

"Optimus!" the medibot exclaimed, "There's a message embedded in the central system's programming!"

Intrigued, Optimus Prime asked: "What does it say?" to which Ratchet replied:

"Hmmm...'Any Autobot who finds this, please send me an invitation. Receiver frequency already set, so you don't need to search for me. Use this machine, so I can trace your coordinates but the Decepticons can't. It will self-destruct after one transmission, so the Decepticons can't analyze it should they capture it, so make it count. Ship's also cloaked, so wait for me.' … Optimus! Do you understand what I'm seeing here?"

Optimus understood perfectly: "We know where a fellow Autobot is, and can in all likelihood rely on his aid in our struggle. Let us waste no time. Send the decoy somewhere remote, and make the transmission."

Ratchet followed the order, while Optimus Prime ordered Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee back to base, and informed Fowler about the current developments.

"I'll be there." he said. "Yes sir," said the rest.

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Somewhere just outside the solar system, a tiny little Cybertronian exploration craft hovered in the empty void... until a previously-thought dead console beeped out a loud beep, shocking the ship's only inhabitant out of stasis lock.

"Wha wha wha – ooh, somebody actually got the message. Finally, I'll be able to finish what I started so long ago." said the shadow-shrouded robot with a smile, his blue eyes showing his realized hopes. He quickly fired up the hyper-engines, and with their last reserves of fuel, followed the signal.

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All the Autobots, the children, and Agent Fowler waited at the top of the mountain that covered the base. A light wind ruffled the humans' hair, but didn't affect the robots one bit, as they all watched the sky eager to see the supposed newcomer.

Mere seconds after a bored Miko suggested playing some music to pass the time, a gust of wind suddenly picked up, and a shimmering outline placed itself in between the waiting party and the sun.

Quickly, Ratchet shouted: "If you can hear me, unidentified vessel, please decloak so I can assess your craft's size, then direct you to an appropriate landing zone."

"_Understood, my fellow Autobot_." an electronic speaker blasted from the outline, which then darkened...revealing a small (by Cybertronian standards) spaceship, which resembled a box with engines, a nosecone and fins. While the humans were shocked by the size of the craft, Ratchet went right on with his calculations. " Well, I think it's still too large to land on top... land over on the side that doesn't have an adjacent road. Oh," he added, "And decloak again once you've landed. The natives of this planet may be watching. We'll meet you once you've landed."

"_Got it._"The ship then floated behind the mountain, and slowly touched down, disappearing as it did.

By the time the Autobots and their friends had gotten to the landing zone, the ship's sole occupant had just shut the vessel down, and was just exiting. A door opened out of thin air, revealing a tall robot with red, orange, and yellow plating all over his body. Black metallic tubes arced over his shoulders, connecting large tanks on his back to devices under his chestplate; which itself was shaped like a yellow upside-down triangle with a flame-shaped border, and an Autobot insignia stamped in the middle. His head was encased in an orange helmet, somewhat like Megatron's helmet, except the Autobot's had a red three-pronged crest on the forehead. His face was colored a lighter shade of orange, which contrasted with his blue Autobot eyes.

The Autobot jumped out of the floating opening, which closed up behind him. As the onlookers struggled to find a first impression, he addressed them:

"Hello, Autobots. I am Flame, of the Iacon Academy of Science and Technology."

"Welcome to Earth, Flame. I am Optimus Prime, and those who stand before you are Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Ratchet. Below your immediate field of gaze-"

Before Optimus could introduce the humans, he suddenly noticed that Flame seemed somewhat distracted. The Autobot leader asked if he was OK, to which Flame answered, looking intently at Optimus: "I remember you from somewhere..."

"Well, he is our leader. Has been since the Great War." said Arcee with a touch of snark.

"No," Flame said, still intrigued by Optimus' appearance; "It's that... wait... Orion Pax? _You're_ the legendary Optimus Prime?"

"...So, you know me as I once was. How? And why did you not recognize me before?"

"I...left Cybertron on a scientific expedition in the middle of the war. Returned to find Cybertron a lifeless husk, it took so long. I must have missed your being named a Prime. Besides, I remember you more clearly as Orion Pax. You see, burned into my memory is the time I met Orion and his friend Megatronus (before he became Megatron) in the Hall of Records."

Optimus, in response, took a close look at Flame...and said: "I'm afraid, for some reason, such an event does not immediately spring to _my_ memory."

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"_So, Orion, did you hear about the Council's new ruling from last Solar-cycle?_" _asked Megatronus in his trademarked raspy voice, as he approached his red-plated friend at his desk in the Hall of Records._

"_No, Megatronus. I can't say I have. It must have been kept in the dark."_

"_Well, not from Soundwave and his Minicons. They heard that they granted the use of Trypticon Station to some two-bit scientist called Flame."_

_This surprised Orion. "Trypticon Station? Wasn't that Sentinel Prime's masterpiece from the Golden Age?"_

"_Indeed. And now it is nothing more than a glorified laboratory...and guess what they're studying there?"_

_When Orion failed to guess, Megatronus went ahead and gave him the answer: "Flame is apparently researching Dark Energon. Also known as the blood of Unicron the Destroyer."_

"_WHAT?" Orion shouted in disbelief as he rose from his seat, "But...the decree of Vector Prime made it illegal..."_

"_Yes, I remember, from our mutual discussions on Cybertronian history; Vector Prime banning use of the substance after he saw what happened to The Fallen. But how long ago was it written, Orion? Very long ago, apparently, since the Council ignored it completely. It was never even brought up in the discussion."_

"_But...Megatronus, this is abominable! How could the Council-"_

"_Ignore a decree of one of the Thirteen original Primes? From my experience," interrupted Megatronus, "The Council these days exists not to uphold the will of Primus, but the will of the guilds and their caste system. _They_ decide Cybertron's destiny in this day and age."_

_Orion walked out from behind his desk, and out to the window. "Well, this time they have gone too far."_

_Megatronus joined his friend at the window, looking out at the Iacon horizon, and said: "And they shall be punished for it. Just not yet. I am not ready to take them on; to them, I am simply Megatronus the gladiator, who has a scheduled 'grudge match' with Sunstorm tonight. While instead, I am Megatronus, the one who shall bring Cybertron out of this plutocratic dystopia, and return to the Golden Age." _

"_And," he added, "Just because, I shall respect the decrees of the Thirteen, and not ignore them for my own personal gain. You shall never see _me_ use Dark Energon."_

"_Thank you," said Orion Pax with a smile._

_Just then, the door opened behind the two, revealing the one they started the discussion about: Flame._

"_Ah, Orion, just the one I wanted to see. I need to browse the files pertaining to Trypticon Station, so I can copy them for study. After all, I do own the station now, and must be able to make full use of it for my research to be optimized."_

"_Flame." said Orion, in a hostile manner, "How did you convince the Council to approve your research of Dark Energon? Use of the substance is illegal according to the decrees of the Thirteen!"_

"_...Is it really? If so, the Thirteen were shortsighted, and did not know how far science would advance after they left us! The Council merely made the rational decision in the matter, unclouded by superstition and fear."_

_Megatronus laughed. "And if you pull my other leg, it turns into a musical instrument. There is nothing 'rational' about the Council at all. Tell me – how many of them did you bribe, in order to achieve your desired outcome?"_

_Flame was taken aback; "What? How dare you accuse me of such despicable actions! Why, I'd never!"_

_Both Orion Pax and Megatronus gazed at him intently, causing him to backtrack slightly; "Okay, I would. But I didn't! I need the credits for my research!"_

_Megatronus wasn't convinced at all. "It was Ratbat, wasn't it? The corrupt disgrace of a Minicon only believes what he's paid to."_

"_Flame" said Orion as he stepped forward, putting himself in Flame's face; "You used a corrupt system to perform an illegal act with Council sanction. This will not stand."_

"_...Oh, but it will." said Flame, his anger finally aroused. "You see, not only is it a bad idea to challenge Council sanction, but if you bring up any illegality of my actions, I can make it seem like you made the law up! Because this, my research, will be a _triumph_ of modern science! And I will _not_ see it stopped. Not by you. Not by the Council. Not even by Zeta Prime himself! Now, if you please, the files?"_

_Orion stared Flame in the eye...then turned towards Megatronus, who said with a sigh: "Give him the files. Like I said, we are not ready. Besides, I must return to Kaon and prepare for my big fight."_

_So, Megatronus walked back towards the window, opening it up with a push of a button, while Orion led Flame to his desk..._

"_...but take solace in the fact that the days of monsters like Flame are numbered." the gladiator said, just before transforming and flying off._

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"Well, I remember it clearly," said Flame, just before Optimus asked Ratchet: "Could this lapse in memory have anything to do with the recent incident?"

"It could be. Anyway..."

Just then, Miko jumped up, saying "Hiya Flame! So what kinda stuff do ya do? Ya a Wrecker like Bulk and Jackie? D'ya have some super-cool weapons built in? C'mon, we're all waitin' to see how ya rumble with the 'Cons!"

…...

Flame stared blankly at the strange creature a second, before asking if these were the 'natives' Ratchet mentioned.

"Yeah, we're humans. I'm Jack, this is Miko, Rafael, and Agent Fowler." said Jack, before Miko and Raf waved.

"Uh huh...and you were concerned about them seeing my ship because..."

"Not them," said Ratchet. "These four know our secret. But, the other seven billion inhabitants of this world would be considerably frightened of aliens on their planet. Hence, we keep ourselves hidden from them. Plus, hiding from the Decepticons is another good reason."

"Ah, I see." said Flame, smiling. "I thought you meant like they would be a threat to my ship or something..."

Agent Fowler glared at the new Autobot, insulted by the dismissive remark towards humanity's armed forces.

"Anyway," said Flame as he bent down to Miko's level, "to answer your question...I'm actually not much of a warrior. Like I said, I'm a scientist; a chemist to be precise! Don't expect me to really 'rumble,' as you put it."

"What? You're not gonna help us fight the Decepticons?" asked a shocked Bulkhead.

Flame took a second before answering: "Sorry to disappoint," he said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "but the reason I sent out all those transmitter-decoys was because...well... I'm basically asking my fellow Autobots for laboratory space."

"You see, while my ship does have a built-in laboratory, for the next few crucial experiments I need to perform, my ship's not suitable. I am researching a radioactive element, and I need a radiation containment field in order to prevent it from messing with the ship's systems...which means I can't do any experiments on the element on board the ship."

"I see." said Optimus Prime. "I am disappointed to hear that you are unable to contribute-"

"Oh, don't think of it like that! Once I'm finished with the experimental phase, I'm sure I'll be able to think of something! Far be it from me to be a perpetual leech on my fellow Autobots!"

"Glad to hear it – we need all the help we can get." said Agent Fowler.

"And, I see nothing wrong with granting you the use of one of our storage rooms as a temporary laboratory in the meantime."

"Oh thank you! You are as generous as the tales say, Optimus Prime!" Flame said, and then offered to shake hands...which Optimus accepted.

Bumblebee then made several noises with the synth-code device standing in for his voicebox. Flame responded with: "Oh, I won't need any assistance, I can set up my lab myself. You guys can go back to your normal day, keep fighting the Decepticons as usual."

After that, the Autobots left Flame to his own devices...and just as they all filed back into the base, humans included, the scientist looked at his own arm, considering the substance he had stored in his arm-compartment...

"After all, I wouldn't want to cause unnecessary worry..."

* * *

Next time, what changes will Flame's arrival bring? Will his research cause as much controversy as they did back in the day?

Please review, favorite, follow, or some combination of the above!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I only own this interpretation of Flame. The original Flame is owned by Marvel UK, and Transformers is owned by Hasbro.

* * *

Save for him occasionally wandering throughout the base, or browsing of the internet to learn about humans, it would have been easy to forget that Flame was even there. He usually kept to his laboratory, and was relatively quiet with his work. He did not even seek active conversation with the other Autobots or the humans, unless they specifically engaged him. For example, the time a couple of days after his arrival, when Miko asked him to look over her chemistry homework.

…...

"What-but – This is completely wrong! Look, _Ionic_ bonds are between atoms of _opposite_ charge! And the noble gases are called so because of their low chemical reactivity due to complete electron fields! How do you miss such simple concepts? And look here: From what I know of how humans represent their chemical equations, it's easy to tell that this is _not_ the correct way to represent electron charge!"

"Well," Miko explained, "Between _boring_ lectures, _boring_ detention, and Autobots who are _more awesome than life itself..._ I sorta tend to slack off. For me, science is just a required course full of boring stuff that doesn't have anything exciting, Just a bunch of pointless questions and-"

She only got that far before Flame shouted: "What? _Pointless Questons?! _Human, answering the unanswered questions and explaining the universe is what science is all _about_!"

Shocked by the sudden outburst, Miko darted behind the leg of a passing Bulkhead.

"Easy there Flame," said Bulkhead, "No need to shout at her. Miko's just not the studying type. She's more of a thrill-seeker, often bordering on danger-seeker."

After a few seconds, Flame calmed down, and then stuttered: "I—I'm sorry...I just...I guess I have this..._issue_... with people who misunderstand the basic idea of science."

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"_Flame? May I have a word with you?"_

"_Yes, Jetfire; but make it quick, we have setup to do."_

"_Actually," said the Autobot flier, as he cut off Flame's walking path, "The setup _is_ the thing I have a problem with!"_

"_What's wrong? Is some of the equipment malfunctioning?"_

"_No, everything's going according to your plan; and that's the problem! Your plan! Tell me: Why we are preparing the replication chambers to mass-produce quantities of Dark Energon?!"_

"_Because, Jetfire, the samples I acquired through my travels in space are not enough for the scale of my project. This is why I specifically requested the use of Trypticon Station: It's facilities would be able to create a synthetic that's as close as possible to the original material as is materialistically possible, thus allowing for more experiments with better reliability without more extensive travel throughout the universe. After all, Dark Energon is a relatively rare substance, this is really the pragmatic way to go."_

"_Pragmatic? We're talking about the blood of Unicron!" Jetfire exclaimed._

_Flame sighed, thought 'here we go again,' and then offered his rebuttal: "You know, Energon's the blood of Primus in a way, if you think about it. Nobody sees anything wrong with putting _that_ on the laboratory table, so why can't we do the same with it's dark counterpart? I want to explore just _what_ makes it so toxic to us Autobots, and that is why-"_

"_We already know the answer to that: because Unicron is the enemy of Primus, our Creator! And we, as his creations, are bound to oppose the every will of the Chaos Bringer in every way we can!"_

"_That answer only works on the short-sighted, superstitious fools!" Flame retorted, "The nature of Dark Energon raises _scientific_ questions!"_

"_And I say," growled Jetfire as he hovered closer, "That there are some questions...best left unanswered."_

_Flame could not contain his exasperation any longer; in fact, with that very phrase, 'best left unanswered,' Jetfire had awoken genuine rage within Flame. Orion once did this by threatening to send him to jail, but not to the extent that Jetfire has offended him. Without thinking twice, Flame grabbed the flier and threw him to the floor._

"_I will not accept that. _No_ question should be left unanswered. It is my duty to reveal everything there is to reveal. And nothing shall stand in my way."_

_And so Flame walked off, leaving behind a horrified Jetfire, who muttered to himself: "He's insane..."_

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"Gotcha. No bad-mouthing scientists when you're around." said Miko as she walked back out from behind Bulkhead's leg.

"Thank you. Now..." Suddenly, Flame's processor gave him a jolt, and he smiled and said: "Hold on a second, I have an idea! You like being involved in things, right?"

At this, Arcee commented: "Like? You haven't seen her sneak into our battles just for a quick glance!"

"...Ah." said Flame, understanding. "Well... how about, instead of a lecture, a demonstration? With a holographic program I could set up?"

Miko expressed immediate approval at the word 'hologram,' encouraging Flame to continue: "Well then, let's take a 'quick glance' of the subatomic level, shall we?"

And with that, Flame fiddled with a display that popped out of his arm, and little three-dimensional images of atoms appeared all over. He took great care to capture as many details about the interactions of atoms as he could, portraying every electron, proton, and neutron accurately...in a display that totally captured Miko's attention and awe.

"Now before I lose your attention, let's talk about reactions..." Flame said with a genuine smile.

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Another such incident where he wasn't in his laboratory was around a week after his arrival, when a sudden spike in Energon activity was detected up in Ukraine. Flame happened to be passing by when Ratchet made the announcement, and quickly joined in:

"Wait...I recognize that signature." he said upon a glimpse at the display, "It was a project of one of my colleagues, Computron: a kind of 'Energon enrichment,' he called it. It normally behaves like regular Energon, but when it's exposed to a certain type of energy, it's supposed to become ten times as potent! It was supposed to be introduced to Energon farmers as a means of reducing workloads, but the war apparently prevented it. I was told he had jettisoned every sample of enriched Energon he created into space."

"Which would explain why some landed here." said Ratchet after Flame finished his story...while Flame suddenly mumbled to himself: "_Wait...the War..._"

Optimus, who was listening in, took this moment to step in: "We must retrieve or destroy this sample, whichever comes first; If Megatron got his hands on it, his scientists would no doubt be able to duplicate it, and make use of it for the Decepticon cause."

Optimus gathered Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead to him, and ordered them to transform, which they did...

...when Flame suddenly said: "Wait! I would like to come too! I would at least want a glimpse at Computron's work!"

"That's all very well and good, Flame, but unless you can fight-"

Flame suddenly interrupted Ratchet: "For that aspect, I merely need a moment...where did I keep that...Ah! It's in my lab!"

As Flame ran off to the lab, Ratchet called out and asked what's in his lab, to which Flame called back: "My vehicle mode!"

"...Well, I'll send the others on ahead, but leave the Groundbridge coordinates set! You can follow them when you've got it!" Ratchet called on after him, before activating the Groundbridge, allowing the Autobots to roll on out.

…...

…...

Minutes later, Flame returned, and asked: "Think there will be much fight left for me?"

When Ratchet confirmed his answer, Flame then said: "Well then, bridge me out...here goes nothing..."

And just as Ratchet pulled the lever, a T-Cog that hadn't been in use for millions of years suddenly whirred to life, and Flame grunted...

…..his arms folded into himself as he crouched down...

…..his chestplate swung over his head as it sank into his torso...

…..the pipes and plates along his body rearranged themselves as an organized and joined form...

….a strange howling echoed through the base, as an engine of alien origin roared to life, and then began humming as he lifted off the ground...

….and Miko stared in awe at Flame's sudden new form.

"...Don't you dare think about going after him!" said Ratchet after he got over the shock.

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Dead vegetation, dust, and debris lay scattered around the immediate area of a ruined building. A light snow fell, and a general chill pervaded the atmosphere. Humans have not set foot here for many decades, since this building was, in fact, a part of the old Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Once, this was the site of one of the greatest nuclear disasters in history. Today, it is merely the site for a skirmish between Autobots and Decepticons.

While the Decepticon starship, the _NEMESIS_, loomed overhead, squads of Vehicons moved in to secure a sample of the enriched Energon they detected. The Autobots, meanwhile, made it their express mission to prevent this. So they formed a small perimeter around the building, and blasted at any Vehicons that approached.

And approach they did, be it land or air. Wherever they came from, however, many were cut down by laser blast before they could reach the Autobots. Breakdown and Knock Out joined the fray after a little while, throwing missiles (from Breakdown's shoulder cannon) and electric bolts (from Knockout's staff) at their enemies from behind cover.

Minutes passed, and the standoff continued: Breakdown, Knockout, and the Autobots all took some damage, while Vehicons were falling left and right. "I hope we don't run out of goons!" Knock Out was heard shouting at some point, prompting a sigh from Breakdown.

Suddenly, everyone heard an explosion, and the top of the building caved in! A voice called out from the wreckage: "I've got it, we can all go home now!"

Everyone recognized the voice as that of Airachnid, the Decepticon femme. As she flew out of the collapsed building in her helicopter mode (the Energon attatched to her underside in a container), everyone pieced together what happened: She tunneled her way into the complex, and silently plucked the enriched Energon from its resting-place.

Naturally, Arcee wasn't too pleased with this turn of events. She immediately shouted for Bulkhead, and pointed towards the flying Decepticon.

Bulkhead agreed, after saying: "But don't get carried away!" Then, he grabbed her, and tossed her right up at Airachnid... where Arcee successfully grabbed onto the tail rotor, pulling Airachnid down...

Suddenly, everyone heard Knock Out shout: "Breakdown! Wait!" as a missile struck Arcee, knocking both femmes out of the sky in a large explosion. As they crashed to the ground, the other Autobots moved in...

...until they discovered Airachnid holding a webbed-up and dazed Arcee by the throat with one servo, and the Enriched Energon with her other. "I wouldn't," Airachnid sneered, "Or else I might rediscover how to properly use my other appendages."

"You got lucky, Breakdown; you didn't hit the Energon!" exclaimed Knock Out, as he and his partner stepped out of cover, and joined Airachnid's hostage-protected area.

"Soundwave, be a dear and send over a groundbridge, would you?" Airachnid purred into her communicator, and the silent Decepticon on the other end obliged her; the green portal appeared a small distance behind her and the other Decepticons...

….right before a flame-engulfed projectile struck the ground in front of it, and exploded in a cascade of hot flames! The sudden blaze forced the Decepticons away from the groundbridge...just as Arcee recovered.

The Autobot femme took advantage of Airachnid's distraction, as she sliced across her foe's chest with her arm-blade, grabbed the enriched Energon, and ran back towards Optimus and the others.

Bumblebee wondered aloud (albeit in his synth-code dialect) where the projectile came from, when all the Autobots suddenly heard over their comms:

"_Like that? How about I do it again?_"

No sooner had the transmission finished than another flaming projectile flew up again, and bounced in between the Autobots and their foes...creating a wall of flames that separated the combatants! But this time, the Autobots were able to follow its trajectory to the source:

Right next to the Autobots' groundbridge was a red, yellow, and orange Cybertronian hover-tank. Fiery decorations emblazoned the plating, in alternating colors. Metal pipes connected two tanks on the back to both the main gun barrel, and a pair of rocket boosters in the back. And as if the pipes and colors weren't clue enough to the identity of the Autobots' new assistant, the area between the front hover-pods (where the treads would be on a treaded tank) was shielded by an upside-down triangular yellow plate, with flame decorations and and Autobot symbol.

"_I'll keep the Deceptions busy,_" Flame said over the comms, "_You guys get Computron's sample back to headquarters!_"

"Flame? Since when are you a hover-tank?" asked Arcee, as the Autobots rushed towards him.

"_Well, to make a long story short, the Autobot Artillery Corps were somewhat short-staffed for the Battle of Kalis near the beginning of the war, and they basically extorted me into helping them out. They gave me this vehicle mode so I could participate, and told me to keep the scan as a memento or something._"

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

_Flame smashed his fist into the computer-interface with a grunt; "What do you mean, you're vetoing an experiment?"_

"_Exactly that, Flame." said the representative of the High Council. "We cannot allow you, in good conscience, to use corpses in your experiments. We have given you leeway up to this point, but this is too far. We believe this would be an insult to the dead, and as such, we will not provide you with cadavers."_

"_...I just cannot believe this! In order to examine this element we call Dark Energon, it's imperative to examine _all_ its properties! That includes its ability to make undead Terrorcons! I _need_ to document the reaction...and you oppose me on __moral grounds__?! To think you call yourself a bot of reason!"_

"_And reason is what compels the council to oppose you. The 'moral grounds' you mention are for the masses, and they would likely defect to the Decepticons if they learned we were supporting research such as yours."_

"_Urgh!" Flame groaned, and turned away...but just before he left the room, he heard: "Oh, Longview! I didn't know you were here!"_

"_Longview? Who's Longview?" Flame asked, returning to the comm-screen._

"_I," said the yellow, stocky robot, "am from the Autobot Artillery Corps, asking about the lack of manpower the Council has allotted. I guess I'm next in line, however..."_

_Before Longview could depart, however, Flame seized his opportunity: "Talk some sense into this bot! He won't allot me the use of cadavers in my research!"_

_Longview seemed caught off guard, and stuttered around a little...but then he grew a grin, and asked: "Which corpses are you forbidden from using: Autobots, or Decepticons?"_

_Both the Council representative and Flame listened, and Longview explained: "Autobots would object because they take the time to prepare elaborate ceremonies to honor the dearly departed...but Decepticons? Now that's a different matter altogether! They just leave their comrades to gather rust on the battlefield! I'm sure no one would miss them..."_

_Flame got the idea. "So, if I join your 'Corps,' I can help myself to as many wrecks as I can carry?"_

"_I believe the Council could allow it. Right?" Longview asked...and after some hesitation, the representative nodded._

_With a sigh, Flame said: "You've got yourself a deal, Longview."_

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

"Well, I'm glad you decided to keep it today!" Bulkhead exclaimed as he dashed towards the Groundbridge.

Some Vehicons decided to take to the air, so they could fly over the blaze Flame created... but then Flame fired off another fiery projectile at the 'Cons. This one burst in midair, and set half the flyers ablaze, causing them to crash and explode. Seeing this prompted Airachnid to escape by drilling her way out, and the Vehicons considered following her...

...when Breakdown suddenly shouted: "Enough of this!" and transformed his hand into a hammer, and struck the ground with such force that a burst of wind extinguished the flames! Seconds later, the other Deceptions transformed into vehicle modes and drove after the Autobots.

Unfortunately for them, Bulkhead saw what Breakdown did out of the corner of his optic, and decided to duplicate it, saying: "No _way_ Breakdown's gonna outdo me!" He then transformed his hand into a wrecking ball, and smashed the ground as well, causing a shockwave that disoriented Knock Out and his Vehicons!

"Great! Now, let's all go-"

Flame was suddenly interrupted as Breakdown's armored transport-form crashed into his tank mode! The impact sent Flame tumbling, and causing him to reflexively revert to robot mode.

"So, you're the new guy, eh?" said Breakdown as he transformed, and formed his hammer-hand, "Well, here's the initiation!"

Before anyone could stop him, Breakdown swung his hammer-fist wide, and smashed Flame in the elbow (of the arm he had raised to defend himself)! "That'll teach you to..."

Breakdown suddenly ceased his taunting, as he suddenly noticed that something glowing, and purple, flew out of Flame's arm as it was smashed!

Flame shouted: "NO!" as he realized his arm-compartment was smashed open by the Decepticon's attack, and the vial contained within had jettisoned its contents. He dashed after the substance...or at least he tried, before the pain caused him to stumble onto his face.

The strange glowing object flew back towards the battlefield, in the direction Breakdown's attack had knocked it in...and landed on the mangled remains of a Vehicon.

Instantly, the body began to glow purple as well, and everyone knew what was coming. The Autobots were speechless, Flame was angry, and Breakdown was scared...scared enough that he transformed and fled, as did the other Decepticons.

As for the corpse...the former Vehicon convulsed, and spasmed, and twisted its joints in ways they were not meant to be twisted! Then it roared, and it was an unnatural roar that sounded far away, yet very near, at the same time! The Vehicon then grabbed its own head, and pulled its chin...clean off, leaving a jagged edge in its place! It then sprang up, and landed on all fours, dripping purple goo from the blaster-hole on its chest.

It was no longer a Vehicon. It was now a Terrorcon, a Transformer zombie animated by Dark Energon.

The Autobots were all horrified, that they would see something like this pop up _here_ of all places. Then, the Terrorcon lunged for them, and they all remembered what to do with these zombies.

Optimus, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Arcee pulled out all their guns, and blasted the onrushing zombie with all their firepower...and even though every shot put a new hole in the undead robot, it kept on running, and snarling, and grasping...

….until finally, every single actuator and hydraulic ram and motor was completely destroyed, and all the contamination faded from the body. Its remains lay mere yards from the Autobots, and smouldered considerably.

The Autobots just stood there, looking at the former Terrorcon...and then at the bot they saw the Dark Energon appear from in the first place, unsure of what to make of him.

…...

…...

"What?" Flame asked, truly not knowing the cause of their strange disdainful faces.

* * *

What now?

Thanks for reading, and happy holidays (surprisingly, yes, we actually do get to celebrate them)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I only own this version of Flame (I think; depending on whether or not he counts as an OC in that regard) The original Flame is Marvel UK, and Transformers is Hasbro/Takara.

Note: Optimus' corrupted memory due to amnesia refers to the episodes: One Shall Rise Part 3, and the Orion Pax three-parter, for those who were confused. Plus, those who know the story of War For Cybertron will see familiar elements.

* * *

"Optimus, remind me again why Ratchet's healing the bot who smuggled Dark Energon into our base?" Arcee said bitterly.

Flame raised his good arm (his right arm) and said: "Don't worry, I'll answer that: Once I'm no longer distracted by the pain in my arm, I can explain _myself_ better...or you can successfully interrogate me, if you insist on viewing me as an enemy all of a sudden." Flame's attention was then taken over by a twinge in his injured left arm, which made him groan with pain as some sparks flew from the spot where Ratchet was welding.

Flame then laughed slightly; "Bots tend to see an enemy the instant Dark Energon is mentioned. That much I've learned over my centuries of traveling in search of the stuff. That's why I had some in my arm; oftentimes, when I was found out, somebody got the idea to destroy my stockpiles. I keep some on me at all times, so I at least have _something_ if such a thing happens_._"

"But why? What would an Autobot need Dark Energon for?"

"Why, Ratchet? For my research, of course! I'm a scientist! It's what I do!"

"...Impossible." Arcee said dismissively. "How can Dark Energon, the life-blood of the most evil being in the entire universe, possibly be considered a research subject?"

"Well, I've been studying it since before the Great War, and have made an extensive inventory on its properties...really, the question should be: 'Why _can't_ it be considered a research subject'?" asked Flame, truly not knowing possible answers.

"Didn't they tell you, when you were just a protoform, to stay away from anything having to do with Unicron?"

Arcee's response to Flame's question caused the Autobot to groan: "Oh, not _this_ again! Another circular, tautological argument that boils down to 'Dark Energon is bad because it's bad!'"

Bumblebee squeaked some more code via his synth-code device, and Flame responded: "Yes, Bumblebee, I have heard these arguments _many_ times. From day one, Autobots of all standings have said, 'avoid this stuff because it's Unicron,' an argument based entirely on tautology and superstition. An argument that fails to convince me to stop my research."

"...You call Unicron 'superstition'? Optimus went toe-to-toe with the big guy in a fight a few months back!" exclaimed Bulkhead.

"Indeed, Flame." Optimus Prime said sternly. "Stopping him was even the cause of the amnesia attack that corrupted my memory banks, making me forget you, and our encounter. An encounter I apparently should have remembered."

"...Maybe. Back on track, no, I do not consider Unicron's _existence_ superstition; archeologists have found considerable evidence verifying the existence of Primus and his archenemy, evidence I find no reason to disprove. What I call superstition is Cybertron's irrational fear of substances that have remote connections to an ancient entity that has long since been defeated!"

"And before you say it, no, I will not deny that Dark Energon is dangerous. It's debilitating effects on Energon-based systems were some of the first things I looked at! I also took full notes of the Terrorcon process as soon as I could – I know full well how bestial and uncontrollable they are!"

"Heh. I'll bet you got some nice data from that-"

"That was an accident, Arcee." interrupted Flame. "Besides, it didn't teach me anything I didn't already have written in my notes...and it nearly brought my fellow Autobots to harm, something I am specifically trying to prevent."

The expressions on the other Autobots changed slightly, and Flame for once noticed. "You appreciate that, right?"

Arcee asked him: "What exactly do you mean by 'preventing harm'? Dark Energon is inherently harmful; I think that's how Unicron intended it!"

"Which is why I only work with Dark Energon in a carefully controlled laboratory environment, where I can work behind safe barriers, and keep its effects confined to the specific experiment...and that's another reason why I didn't let anyone in, aside from the secret-keeping aspect of it. I guess you could say I was thinking along the lines of 'what you don't know can't hurt you.'"

Bumblebee squealed again, and Flame responded with: "No, I didn't lie, I never told you in the first place. I apologize for not warning you about my research earlier...but really, I didn't trust you back then. I've never really been able to trust anyone during this project, often with good reason."

"You see, everyone was against me from the beginning. I admit, I even had to resort to a little bribery to even get my project off the ground, and even then I had to keep it a close secret that only my helpers and higher-ups knew...and I even had enemies among them, especially Jetfire! Every cycle of his free time was spent reminding me of the moral and safety-related concerns he had. I dismissed him as an irrational raver...which proved to be a mistake. Had I listened to him that one time, I might have prevented the single accident that this project has suffered..."

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

"_Jetfire, how goes damage control?" Flame asked, as he gazed at the gaping hole in Trypticon Station._

"_The unstable synthetic Dark Energon has been completely contained and isolated, and has been jettisoned into deep space."_

"_Good. There, an explosion won't cause any more trouble for us...and the personell?"_

"_Aerialbots have managed to evacuate the entirety of the injured, and are all being given medical treatment."_

"_Any loss of life reported?"_

"_...none yet." Jetfire said after checking his log again. _

_Flame sighed in relief; "So the safety procedures worked, after all. Now, I shall personally direct some funds from the project to ensure they make full recoveries." And with that, Flame walked up to a computer terminal and began manipulating the screen..._

_...and turning back towards Jetfire a minute later, to find that the bot had not moved at all. The two looked at each other..._

…_.and then Flame said: "Look, I admit, you were right about the miscalculation. I should have listened to you when you said some of the Dark Energon synthetic was becoming unstable. But I didn't, and I'm sorry."_

"_You finally admit that you were wrong about something?"_

"_Somewhat...but this doesn't mean I'm giving up on the project. In fact, I'm going to go on ahead, but learning from my mistakes!"_

"_Flame, are you ever going to learn that it's a mistake to tamper with forces beyond your comprehension?"_

"_Jetfire, I'm not _tampering_ with said forces, I'm _studying_ them! Putting them _within_ the realm of understanding, so they're no longer 'beyond my comprehension'! That's what science is all about...as I explained to you several times over the past few thousand stellar cycles."_

"_...And while I can mostly deal with that now, Flame, I still long for the day when you will stop."_

_Flame sighed again, then returned to working on his computer. Arguing with Jetfire was pointless, as he had long since figured out. Both he and his opponent would not yield until...'until he gets his way.' Flame suddenly thought to himself._

…_..._

"_Flame?" Jetfire asked, as he suddenly noticed that Flame had stopped working._

"_...You know, Jetfire...do we really know what caused the synthetic Dark Energon to become unstable?"_

_When Jetfire answered 'no,' Flame continued: "A thought just occurred to me: What would happen if _pure_ Dark Energon was exposed to the exact same conditions as that particular experiment? Of course, in order to perform such an experiment, I'll have to go back out into the universe and obtain some..."_

"_...what? But it's so scarce..." Jetfire wanted to say it was infinitely more dangerous than the synthetic variety, but he knew such words wouldn't convince him._

"_Exactly. I'll be gone a very long time."_

_Suddenly, Jetfire realized what Flame was getting at: "You...you're suspending your experiments?"_

"_Consider it a reward for attempting to warn me." Flame said with a smile. "Of course, I will only be able to justify the suspension until I find some Dark Energon and return. Do you think you can handle that?"_

_Jetfire nodded; "You'll still be gone for a very long time, during which I need not worry. Thank you, Flame."_

"_Good! Now, here are the specifics: While I'm gone, I'll be taking the files and notes of my experiments with me, and delete the originals stored on here. You and your friend Starscream commit the synthetic creation formula to memory, so we have a comparision when I modify _my_ copy on my way back. Also, feel free to cut the Energon Bridge that feeds the manufacturing section, and develop a destruction sequence to dispose of the remaining synthetics should 'the wrong hands' come to claim a quantity and actually make it dangerous. But, do please maintain a minimum quantity for my return if at all possible. Got it?"_

"_Yes, Flame."_

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"Imagine my surprise when I returned to find Cybertron a wasteland, and my old laboratories unusable." said Flame as he finished his story. "I asked a few off-world refugees, and they told me what happened: turned out that Megatron broke into my lab, recruited Starscream, and used the Dark Energon synthetic to corrupt the planet's core. Even the legendary Optimus Prime could only remove the contamination, not save the core, which resulted in it shutting down and the Cybertronians fleeing."

That part of the story was quite familiar to the other Autobots, and it brought back horrible memories of Megatron's atrocities. Bumblebee squeaked some synth-code to Ratchet, who then responded: "I'm not sure if he's to blame for that. After all, were he there, Megatron would probably have slaughtered him too."

"But he did create the synthetic Dark Energon. And bring real Dark Energon here to Earth." said Arcee.

"For a few experiments, to further the cause of scientific advancement!" exclaimed Flame, causing Ratchet to slip on the welding, and causing more pain.

"Careful, don't squirm that much!... what scientific advancement, exactly?"

"What, Ratchet? There's so much potential as a stepping-stone achievement with the analysis of Dark Energon...take Archeology, for example! If we knew as much about Unicorn as we do about Primus, we might be finally able to trace their origins! The beginnings of life in the universe; doesn't that prospect tempt you in the slightest?"

Flame got no response, as Ratchet could think of no way _to_ respond.

"I see." continued Flame. "Anyway, Optimus Prime...a short time ago, I asked you for permission to continue my research. Now that this new information has been brought to light, I must ask again, and this time make another case. Long ago, you came up with legal oppositions to my research, and I used intimidation to win that argument. Now that there is no law, as there is no Cybertron, I make this appeal based on merits alone: I tell you that this is a vital continuation of science that cannot wait, and will kick-start Cybertronian science when our society is eventually restored. I tell you that I perform my experiments in a way that does no harm, therefore fulfilling my moral obligations as an Autobot to respect and protect life."

"And I tell you..." Flame said with some effort, "...if you still must oppose me, I am nearly done with this cycle of work. We can then dispose of my cache of Dark Energon, and I can busy myself with analysis and calculations at that point. As the Prime, I will respect your judgement, although I still make the effort to convince you."

Everyone then turned to Optimus, who lowered his head in deep thought... then asked: "Flame, do you truly know what you are doing?"

"Oh yes, Prime! I'm providing a base for bots greater than me to build on! And I believe that when my success is built on, Autobot knowledge and skill will be unparallelled throughout the entire universe! This is an opportunity you have no reason to pass over!"

…...

…...

"Flame," Optimus finally said after a pause, "Finish your current cycle of work. Then put it to rest, until others share your enthusiasm, and can condone your work."

"...Thank you, Optimus Prime. Like I said, you are truly as generous as everyone told me you were. I promise I will honor this compromise when I have finished."

"Wait - you're gonna let him work?"

"Only for a short while, Arcee. I have enough faith in his honesty to allow him up to the agreed point. Besides...you will all agree, we have more immediate concerns to attend to, with the Decepticons searching for Iacon relics."

Just then, Ratchet released Flame's arm, and said: "There, it should be useable now." Then, Ratchet turned to Arcee and the others, "Besides, it'll be a long time before 'others' condone Flame's project, even with him making all the impassioned speeches he has time for."

"Thanks for the support," Flame said sarcastically, as he got up; "Well, back to work I guess; the sooner I reach a stopping point, the sooner you can rest easy around me, it would seem."

And with that, he stomped on right back to his laboratory, everyone giving him confused stares as he left...including Miko, who had stayed behind a corner to avoid being dragged into the conversation.

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Later, Miko waited outside Flame's lab, and shouted out his name when he left to dispose of used materials from an experiment.

"Miko," Flame said as he looked down, "What is it?"

"...I heard everything." she said with a solemn face.

"...I see. So, you think I'm an enemy too?"

"Are you kidding?" she exclaimed as her familiar energetic smile returned: "You're still a good guy! You may be a mad scientist, but good guy mad scientists are still cool!"

Flame gave Miko a very long look...and then said: "Glad you think so. But why you, out of everyone?"

"Dude, you've got that _wicked_ tank mode, and you can't go wrong with that! Plus, you made science _interesting_ to me for a change! You're literally the first to have done that!"

"Oh really? Huh. Maybe when I finish up with my current project, I'll become a teacher or something..." Flame said, before laughing at the prospect.

After a little bit, Flame asked, "You and Optimus Prime are the only ones, from what I can gather, who judge me based on _me,_ not on my work on Dark Energon."

"Yeah..." Miko responded, "I don't blame 'em though; we've had some pretty rough experiences with the stuff lately."

"...What? What sort of 'experiences' do you mean?" asked Flame, his interest suddenly aroused.

"Well, there's the time Unicron caused some natural disasters when he nearly woke up, there's the time Raf nearly got fried by the stuff..."

"The human programmer? He suffered injuries as a result of Dark Energon?"

"Yeah, it happened when Megatron shot Bumblebee, when Raf was inside him!"

Flame stood up again, in disbelief; "How?" he said to himself, "If he shot a Dark Energon-based projectile, he'd have to have a dedicated system built to it; but even then, it's incompatible with Energon-based machines! And Cybertronians are entirely Energon-based!"

"Uh, Flame?"

"...Oh, sorry Miko, I got a little sidetracked; carry on, if you would..."

"Gotcha. I saved the worst one for last; Around the time I joined Prime's team, Megatron tried to raise an entire zombie army, using all the robo-corpses on Cybertron!"

"What?" Flame asked again; "The Terrorcons are bestial – barely sentient! And so many at once...how would he control them, stop them from tearing each other apart before they could even get to Megatron's enemies?"

"Er...i dunno."

"I must know! Thank you so much, Miko! I'll put this information to good use!" And with that, Flame dashed off to the central control room...

….leaving Miko to weakly say: "Um...you're welcome?"

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"Ratchet!" exclaimed Flame as he barged in on the medical officer.

"What now?" Ratchet asked in his usual annoyed manner.

"Miko told me about Megatron, how he harmed Raf, how he controlled the Terrorcons...no, I haven't changed my mind about the horrors of Dark Energon, I'm here to ask; How? How did Megatron accomplish all those?"

Feeling somewhat cornered, Ratchet answered: "...when Optimus and I fought Megatron's zombies, he said something about 'symbiosis,' and how he had Dark Energon in his veins..."

"But how? How did he get the Dark Energon inside him without corrupting and destroying all his systems?"

"...I don't know...but I did notice _something_ emanating from his Spark chamber during that fight...perhaps he injected it in there or something?..."

Flame took in Ratchet's answer, and paced back and forth muttering to himself: "The Spark chamber...if he had...if I could...of course! Thank you, Ratchet!"

But before Ratchet could say 'you're welcome,' Flame continued: "You deserve a reward...ah, yes! Remember the enriched Energon we've got in storage?"

Ratchet couldn't even stutter before Flame plugged a wire into the main computer, and transferred some files from his onboard computer as he said: "Here's all the files I was allowed to copy from Computron's notes on the project! You can fill in the blanks, and start mass-producing it for Autobot use!"

Then, once Flame was done, he started dashing off...but not before Ratchet asked him: "What's got you so energized all of a sudden?"

"...when I said 'this current cycle of work', I referred to everything I could do without first making sense of some outlying data I acquired a long time ago...with this revelation, I think I might be able to make sense of everything! I can finish my project now, with just a few extra experiments!" Then, Flame continued running back to his lab, but called back: "Be sure to get Optimus' permission for me; tell him, if I am allowed to do a few extra experiments, none of you will have to worry about me working with Dark Energon ever again!"

…...

"...that is good news indeed!" Ratchet exclaimed.

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Optimus quickly granted permission, and Flame set to work. He browsed scientific journals he had saved from old Cybertron on the Spark, pored over them ceaselessly, and took notes on all of them. Then, he started comparing his own notes on Dark Energon to these new notes, and worked out a hypothesis in his head.

Soon came time for the experiment: he cobbled together a device that simulated a Spark chamber, and connected it to an Energon-powered motor in a circuit (much like what would be seen inside an actual Cybertronian).

"First, the control," he said to himself, and he pulled out a separate but similar motor, turned it on and let it run for a while, and then poured a little Dark Energon from a vial into the intake (where there already was some Energon)...instantly, the machine glowed purple, then seized up, and refused to function further.

"Correlates with previously observed phenomena...now, to see whether we get the same result, if the Dark Energon is introduced via the artificial Spark..."

Having said that, he turned on the Spark-motor circuit, let it run for a while, and then poured the Dark Energon into the simulated Spark chamber...

…..

….all the Energon from the exposed tubes started glowing purple, as did the artificial Spark...but no change in efficiency was noted! Not in any of the observation devices that Flame hooked up to the motor!

"Amazing!" he remarked to himself: "the Energon was converted into Dark Energon, without any effect on the motor...it's behaving like it was designed to use Dark Energon from the beginning! Oh, this definitely confirms my hypothesis! The conditions inside the spark chamber _do_ alter Dark Energon's base structure!"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Many experiments and calculations (plus unexplained absences) later, Flame was setting up a variety of observation instruments within a removed woodland, far from any human settlements. "Got to get this just right," he muttered to himself...

Just as he had finished setting up, he noticed a groundbridge opening up; his fellow Autobots (and Miko) stepped out of it in short order. "Ah, you saw my invitation! Step behind the radiation shield I prepared for you, over there!" Flame said excitedly as he pointed to a small energy barrier.

"What are you doing, Flame?" asked Optimus Prime, as he and the others followed Flame's suggestion.

"If you must know," the scientist said, "Here, I will perform an experiment...plus a couple more like it, to confirm the data...that will prove to be the culmination of my Dark Energon project!"

Flame then tapped the compartment in his left arm, and pulled out a shard of Dark Energon! As the other Autobots looked on, unsure whether or not to be afraid...

...Flame opened up his chestplate and shoved the shard under it, injecting his spark chamber with pure Dark Energon! As his chestplate closed up, the brightly-colored scientist nearly doubled over in pain, then roared at the skies as his eyes and mouth flared with a purple glow!

"GrrrrrRRAAAAAAAHH!"

* * *

Tune in next week (or so) to discover the consequences of Flame's experiment!

Your love of this story is appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I only own this version of Flame, and even then only if reimaginings count as OCs. Marvel UK owns the original, and Hasbro owns the Transformers brand.

* * *

High in the sky, aboard the Decepticon warship known as the _Nemesis,_ Soundwave detected a strange signal. A diagram of the signal appeared on his face, thus announcing his discovery to his one and only leader, Megatron.

"What is that, Soundwave?" Megatron said as he looked...and stared in disbelief.

"Dark Energon? And active as well? Impossible! All the Dark Energon from the planet's core was extracted by us, and that which wasn't disappeared after Unicron returned to his slumber! Where could it come from?"

In an odd form of response, Soundwave zoomed in on the signal...and compared it to Megatron's own energy signature.

"...And it's inside someone?" Megatron asked in growing bewilderment. "It may be Starscream, trying once again to usurp my power. Set course for this signal!"

"YES, LORD MEGATRON!" the entire ship echoed, and the Vehicons at the controls set to work.

The _Nemesis_ changed course, and began flying straight toward the new signal.

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"GAAAAAAHHHHhhh...Auhhhhh... Unh...Ng..." Flame convulsed in pain, clutching his sides as this strange new sensation coursed uncomfortably throughout his entire system...

"...Are..you alright?" asked a shocked Ratchet.

"...alright? Not really..." Flame said, somewhat weakly... "...But it's all worth it!"

_(worth it...worth the pain...)_

And with that, Flame turned to face his friends, and they all saw: Where once his eyes shone with Autobot blue, there was now a soft purple glow! A purple mist surrounded him and contrasted with his fire-inspired bodywork, rising up from all the gaps in his armor, under which thin violet lines coursed all over.

They had all seen this look before, even Miko; on Megatron's body. "How is it 'worth it'?" Arcee asked.

"How? Look over there, at those readings!" said Flame as he pointed to a set of instruments...on the screens of which numbers were flashing in apparently random patterns!

"I've got thousands of probes within my body, to capture everything the Dark Energon does to me, and to the other subjects as well! Everything will be captured and analyzed!"

_(for the grand design...the great experiment...you will soon know everything...)_

"What other subjects?" asked Ratchet.

"You'll see..." Flame said. The Autobots quickly realized what he meant, and gasped in horror...but Flame didn't hear.

Flame opened up the container on his other arm, and pulled out _another_ shard of Dark Energon. Then, he reached over for a nearby device: "This will prevent the Dark Energon from interfering with the rest of the soil..."

_(a redundant procedure...you are in control...you know what you're doing...)_

"On second thought," Flame said, "I don't even need that." And so Flame walked away from the device, confusing the Autobots.

"Whatever happened to 'do no harm?'" Arcee asked quietly, bringing even more concern to everyone's mind.

_(what do they know...they know nothing of science...)_

Flame went on without reacting to her at all. He raised the Dark Energon shard above his head, and then jammed it into the ground!

_(now call them forth...the heralds of the new age...)_

"It's done. I believe what they say is...ARISE!"

The Autobots braced themselves as the ground exploded in a shower of green and brown, as thirteen or so Decepticon corpses of various levels of decay pulled themselves up, moaning and groaning the howls of the Terrorcons. Jaws and claws snarled, spewing flecks of Dark Energon from exposed faceplates.

And all while Flame looked on, as the purple mist of Dark Energon ignited into what looked like violet flames.

_(this is symbiosis...you are in control...you decide the future...)_

"Ahhh...So, this is 'symbiosis'...it feels like I'm standing where they are! Let's see..."

Suddenly, the Terrorcons lunged for Flame, causing everyone to shout something along the lines of 'Look out!'...before the Terrorocons stopped just in front of Flame, and all bowed down to him.

"No need to worry about me!" Flame laughed. "I commanded them to do that! They all obey _my_ mental commands!"

_(in command...getting what you want...nobody stopping you...)_

"...that's all very well and good, Flame, but don't get carried away! You're here to do an experiment-"

"That's taking care of itself, Ratchet! I have various monitoring devices in all the Terrorcons, transmitting their findings directly to the database as we speak!"

A quick glance at the nearby computer screens confirmed Flame's allegations.

"Right..." said Miko uneasily; Flame was beginning to frighten even _her_ now. "It's all for the science...right?"

"Speaking of which..." said Flame as he turned back towards the zombies, "Let's record the reaction to _verbal_ commands...Forward!...Return!...Dig!...Stop!"

The Terrorcons obeyed all of Flame's instructions, and Flame's glee grew with each one obeyed. "There...the data has been gathered...we can analyze it when we return..."

_(success...don't forget the Terrorcons...birthed through your genius...)_

"...Although..." Flame said just before Ratchet could call the Groundbridge... "What shall we do with these Terrorcons?"

"I say have 'em waste each other, and throw 'em in a volcano!" said Bulkhead.

"Waste of opportunity, wouldn't you agree?" said Flame, once again concerning the Autobots...

_(they are there...the fruits of your labor...they should be used...)_

"What possible use could we have for those things?" asked Optimus Prime.

Instead of discouraging him, though, Flame seemed more encouraged than ever! "Well...you could find a use for them, Optimus! Think about it...with a few of these on your side, Megatron wouldn't stand a chance! The Decepticon menace would finally be ended!"

If they weren't before, now the Autobots were well and truly horrified; Flame was suggesting they use the dead against the Decepticons? And if that wasn't enough, this was a _scientist_ suggesting these abominations be used – someone whose purpose it is to _better_ life, not ruin it! And their impressions of Flame from before told them that he understood at least _that_!

Before Optimus could raise an objection, Flame continued: "Then, we can focus all our attention on restoring Cybertron! With my research, our progress will accelerate, until the Autobots are the most advanced race in all the universe! AND ALL WILL PAY HOMAGE TO FLAME, THE AUTOBOT WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR THE NEW GOLDEN AGE! AH-HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

_(the glory...the glory you deserve...the glory you were denied...it will be yours at last...)_

Optimus saw Flame's cackling...and in it, he saw memories of Megatron, and lofty ideals corrupted into pure glory-seeking, just like before the war. It shocked him to his core, once again seeing a once-noble Spark turned to evil. For he knew that this was evil.

"Optimus...what's going on?" asked Miko, her voice shaking with true fear...

...and Optimus answered: "If Flame wasn't insane before, he certainly is now. The Dark Energon is stripping away every ounce of morals he once held, leaving only pride and greed. Soon, the mad scientist will be all that remains."

"...That's...that's not him! Flame's supposed to be caring! He's supposed to be..."

"Yes, Miko. I know. That is why I shall give him a chance to stand down. Extract the Dark Energon before all of him is lost."

The Autobot leader then stepped forward, and with all the authority he could pour into his voice, shouted: "FLAME! I'M CALLING OFF THE EXPERIMENT IMMEDIATELY! YOU ARE TO BE SUBJECT TO A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION, AND UNTIL YOU PASS, YOUR WORK CANNOT CONTINUE!"

"_WHAT?!_" Flame shouted back; "How DARE you halt the most _important_ work in Autobot history? You have no right!"

_(he will not listen...he is not you...he is the Prime, and does not share your genius...)_

"Flame, I beg you...you are becoming insane..."

_(See? He rejects you...all who reject you should pay...pay with their lives...)_

"No..." Flame growled, the purple flames around him becoming even more violent... "It's you! You're just like the high council – out to ruin me...out to destroy progress! You are unworthy of your title..."

_(Kill him...Kill him and all his followers...Destroy the flawed Prime...)_

_(Kill...Kill...)_

_(KILL THEM! DESTROY THE PRIME!)_

"TERRORCONS! ATTACK! DESTROY THEM ALL!"

The Terrorcons stirred, and turned towards the Autobots...and Miko, for once in her thrill-seeking life, screamed in genuine fear: "AAAIIIIYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Optimus reacted before the zombies: he punched Flame in the face, then used his disorientation to throw him into the mass of Terrorcons.

"Bumblebee!" he ordered, "Get Miko to safety! The rest of you, prepare for battle!"

Bumblebee scooped her up, transformed into his sports-car mode, and drove off into the woods. The other Autobots drew blasters and melee weapons.

"Remember!" Optimus shouted, "Immobilize them! And pull back if the Dark Energon starts to weaken you!"

No sooner did the Autobots acknowledge their leader's advice, then thirteen metal zombies leaped upon them, and the battle began.

Bulkhead's wrecking balls smashed and smashed, knocking the Terrorcons away, but they just sprang back again. When he got one cornered however, he pummeled it until all its joints refused to move. Arcee used her arm-blades to slice the limbs off of her opponents, as did Ratchet and Optimus.

In a short while, seven of the zombies had been immobilized, and the Autobots were ready to finish the remaining six, then move on to Flame...

...when Flame suddenly shouted: "Don't think this is over, Prime! I have more corpses on my ship, saved for the repetitions of this experiment! They will now find perfect use as your executioners!"

And with that, Flame pressed a button on his arm...and his spaceship flew overhead, guided by remote control! It turned upside down, and dumped its payload of corpses onto the ground next to Flame, who focused his attention on the shard of Dark Energon below them. The energies poured out of the ground, and animated the thirty-plus Terrorcons!

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Meanwhile, up in the sky, the _Nemesis_ had just appeared overhead, and was viewing the scene:

What they saw was Optimus Prime and his Autobots surrounded by attacking undead Vehicons, chopping them to pieces in a desperate battle...and observing then whole thing was that red, orange, and yellow Autobot that interfered with the acquisition of the enriched Energon from Chernobyl!

"That's the Autobot, Lord Megatron!" said Knock Out as he pointed towards the screen.

"I remember him, Knock Out...Flame, at last you reveal your true colors." Megatron said, partially to himself. "Intelligent and cunning, but ruthless and callous. Don't care who gets in your way, you'll get the science done."

"Wait...Lord Megatron, please tell me you're not thinking of recruiting that guy!" Knock Out said, worried for his position.

"No, Knock Out, Flame's too dedicated to be an asset. In fact, he's much more of a liability... Aim the guns, and wipe out them all."

The Vehicons obeyed, and readied the Nemesis' onboard cannons to fire...

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...an act, that unfortunately was noticed by Flame, who exclaimed: "Decepticons! They cannot be allowed to interfere!" before he manipulated his spaceship's remote control again.

The ship blasted upward, slamming into the hull of the _Nemesis_! The Decepticons inside were knocked all over, and the _Nemesis_' alarms blared out the report of extensive damage, forcing the Decepticons to retreat.

Flame returned his attention to the battle with the Autobots...just in time to see Bumblebee (minus Miko, who he dropped somewhere safe) smash into the line of zombies in vehicle mode, sending a good portion of them flying. The yellow Autobot then transformed and started shooting up most of them, as they even then got up and started lunging for him.

Flame noticed that his opponents had been separated in the melee, and were now a good distance apart from each other. This gave him an idea...

Flame transformed into tank mode, and fired of several flaming projectiles into their midst. Lines of fire separated the Autobots even further, searing at the Autobots' pain receptors but leaving the Terrorcons unaffected!

…...

Bulkhead continued swinging, but the heat and the Dark Energon was beginning to get to him. Still, despite his weakness, he still managed to keep on swinging at the Terrorcons who threw themselves at him... until his weak constitution gave out, and he was forced to his knees by his weakness, allowing Terrorcons to jump on his massive frame.

Bumblebee, meanwhile, continued on punching and shooting ….except when he punched one particular Terrorcon, and it suddenly turned out it wasn't a Terrorcon at all – it was Ratchet! Flame had used his holographic projector to deceive Bumblebee and Ratchet took the full force of Bumblebee's attack! The shock put poor Bumblebee off-guard, allowing the Terrorcons to pile on and start ripping off his plates, as well as the stunned Ratchet...

…...

Arcee was busy using her natural agility and speed to outmaneuver the Terrorcons, and was doing a pretty good job with her arm-blades. Limbs and parts piled up around her, as the slow-moving zombies failed to keep up with their foe. A break appeared as most of the other Terrorcons were occupied with attacking her friends, and she began devoting some of her processor to working out how she would help them all out...

…..when suddenly, Flame's tank-mode cannon shot her point-blank with a mortar, and sent her flying...and on fire! The heat started to warp her metal plates, and disrupt her circuits...seeing nothing else to do, she jumped into a nearby river and extinguished the flames...providing the opportunity for Flame to transform, and start kicking her into the water! It went on for nearly half a minute, with Flame holding her down and smashing her over and over and over...

"STOOOOOOPP!" Flame heard a voice shout. He paused in his beatdown of the stunned Arcee, looked up...and a devious grin grew on his face...

…...

…...

Optimus Prime managed to resist the weakening effect of the Dark Energon thanks to his status as a Prime, and used this to help his fellow Autobots out of the battle zone as well as pick off the remaining Terrorcons (though it took great effort on his part). He then extinguished the flames before they got to the surrounding woods by stomping on them, and then began to look for Flame...

...who quickly made his presence known: "PRIME! SURRENDER THE MATRIX TO ME...or I squeeze."

Optimus gazed in horror at what Flame held in his hand: Miko, struggling to escape the grasp of the madman.

"Flame..." she said weakly, pleading, "Please...this isn't you! Don't you remember me? It's me, Miko! Your friend! Your-"

"I'M WAITING, PRIME!" Flame shouted, not reacting to Miko at all. She broke down into frightened tears.

Flame heard the click of a gun behind him, and Arcee saying: "Don't. You. DARE!"

"I might as _well_!" said Flame, turning around: "She deserves to die...You all deserve to die! And do you know why? Because you _defied me_! ME, the only one who matters! You are nothing! I am _everything_! All who oppose me deserve to be destroyed!"

Flame gazed at Arcee...

" _I alone_ saw the potential for greatness where others saw only corruption and death! And you still speak against me, even as I am proven right! You are all worthless wastes of life! _Because I am not afraid to do what everyone else fears_! While you... you don't even have it in you to pull the trigger... do you?"

"Flame..." Arcee said, her gun-arm quivering...

"I'll show you! I'll do it now! SHE DIES-"

"NOOOOOO!"

Everyone suddenly looked at Optimus Prime, who sheathed his weapons and said: "Arcee, stand down. I will give Flame the Matrix."

"A wise choice." said Flame, as he released Miko; dropping her, forcing Arcee to drop down and catch her before the fall hurt her.

Then, as everyone but Flame protested, Optimus opened up his chest-compartment, revealing the sacred relic known as the Matrix of Leadership situated directly in front of his Spark chamber.

Flame strode towards Optimus while everyone looked on, powerless to interfere thanks to the order of their superior. Instead, they watched with horror as a madman shrouded in a purple aura, once a bot they thought they could trust, reached out and said: "With this, I shall have the power to decide the future! Nothing will be beyond my grasp; NOTHING! HA HA HA!"

And then he grabbed the Matrix, curled his red-plated fingers around the casing, and pulled...

….and pulled again...

….and pulled again!...

"What?" he said to himself, "What's happening? Why isn't it moving? Why...WHY CAN'T I FEEL MY HAND?!"

Flame grasped at his own hand, and tried to pull himself away...but he failed! He was still stuck inside Optimus Prime's chest-compartment! Suddenly, the purple flames that surrounded him began to flare...and then dissipate!

"WHAT'S GOING ON?! I...Can't...MOVE!" Flame shouted again, becoming worried for the first time that day. Becoming scared.

_(no...no! This can't be happening! Flame was supposed to destroy him!)_

Himself a little curious, Ratchet dashed over to the recorder screens Flame set up for the experiment... and shouted: "Optimus! The Dark Energon level within Flame is dropping!...And so's his regular Energon level!" Ratchet finished with a touch of worry.

"...The Matrix is reacting to the Dark Energon within him." Optimus said after a second of intropsection, "Trying to fight it, to save him...and failing."

_(Curse you, disciple of Primus! Curse you...curse...you...)_

Flame screamed again, and the purple in his eyes flickered on and off, fading gradually... "NOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo..."

…..

Flame stood there, frozen almost like a statue... except his mouth was moving weakly, trying to make a sound.

Optimus Prime looked at him for a second...and then pried Flame's hands off of the Matrix, causing Flame to topple over onto the ground. His hands were stuck in that position, of grabbing at something, for a while. Then, with a clunk, and a sound like something breaking, they fell down to Flame's sides.

The Autobots walked up to him, unsure of what to make of this happenstance...but keeping their distance, nonetheless.

…...

"Put me down!" Miko suddenly shouted; Arcee, overcome with shock by the whole situation, found herself obeying her. Miko ran up to Flame's head, and knocked on it: "Flame! Are ya in there? Can ya hear me? Do...you remember me, Miko? The girl who liked your science?"

Almost a minute passed, and nothing happened. Miko started to worry...and then started to cry...

"..._wh...Wh...What...have...I...done?_" were the sounds that escaped Flame's mouth.

"You're alive!" Miko said, enthusiastically but still uneasy...

"_Why?...I am a traitor...not only to you, but to my own values!..._"

"AND YOU'RE YOU AGAIN!" Miko instantly hugged as much of Flame's face as she could reach.

"_...Miko?...Stop that... I don't deserve it...I nearly killed you!..._"

"That wasn't you! That was the Dark Energon talking, I know it! I...just know! C'mon, think...Ah! Got it: when you were all hopped up on DE, were you hearing any voices? Anyone whispering into your ear?"

Flame thought for a while, then weakly said: "_...Now that I think about it... I did hear someone...I assumed it was natural...it sounded like my voice, telling me how great I was, and how insignificant you were..._"

"It must have been Unicron." Optimus interjected, " Megatron said his mind was linked with Unicron's, and could hear his thoughts even when he was dormant...it stands to reason that Unicron amplified Flame's darker side as an attempt at revenge. Creating the rampage we just barely survived."

"But Megatron hardly had any change when he used Dark Energon!" mentioned Ratchet.

"Probably because there wasn't much opportunity for him to become even more evil than he already was. While Flame still had some morals to push aside."

"The darkness was already in him, but it was Unicron who brought it to the surface...what is he? A traitor, or a puppet?" asked Arcee, truly not knowing the answer.

"A fool." said Optimus Prime. "Blinded by his impending scientific success, he forgot to look before he leaped."

Flame tried to laugh, but all that came out was a gasp and a cough; "_For once, Optimus...I'm willing to accept that criticism._"

"No..." Ratchet exclaimed suddenly.

Everyone suddenly looked at the medic, who said: "Medical scans show his Spark's fading fast. His major Energon lines have been cut off! He's got...minutes at most!" causing everyone to gasp.

"What? How?"

"_I think I can answer that.._" said Flame, "_When I first put the Dark Energon in my Spark chamber, its properties were changed so that my systems could function, and it converted my Energon reserves into a similar compound...but, when I touched the Matrix, the Dark Energon returned to its normal, incompatible state._"

Flame coughed, prompting Ratchet to finish for him: "Now the Dark Energon's corrupting his systems and shutting them down...including his vitals."

"No! He can't die! Isn't there anything you can do, Doc?"

"The damage is too severe, Miko...it's already too late."

Miko looked at Ratchet with a sense of betrayal...and then began crying against the side of Flame's head.

"_It's OK, really...I got what I sought for my whole life! I'm...more or less finished with my project! My life's work! I have gathered... the knowledge of Dark Energon... into my computer banks...and that, my legacy, cannot die._"

"You need not fear, Flame; Out of respect to you, I will personally ensure the survival of your data." Optimus Prime promised the dying Autobot. "It will be placed on a portable drive, and put into storage."

"_Where those...who wish to follow in my footsteps...can benefit from my wisdom, and learn from my mistakes?_"

"Yes...maybe even finish the experiment that was attempted today...sometime down the line..." said Ratchet.

"_And some may even delve into...the influence of Dark Energon on the mind?_" Flame said with a smile.

With a gulp of sadness and uncertainty, Ratchet quivered... "Yes...some qualified people may attempt that."

"_What more...could a bot of science wish for...than a legacy like that?_"

Then, with some effort, Flame turned his head over to look at Miko...with eyes that were blue once again...and said: "_And I'm also glad...that in my final days... I met people like you._"

Flame got to see one last teary smile on Miko's face, before his eyes flickered out...and stayed out, as his Spark was finally extinguished.

…...

…...

…...

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"Took me a lot of pencil-pushing and bureaucracy to go through, but I managed to get your friend a grave. The burial will be at Area 51 at 08:00 hours Thursday, if that'll work for you."

"Thank you, Agent Fowler." Optimus said solemnly to his authoritative ally. Fowler saluted Optimus, then left back through the surface elevator.

Optimus then turned around and reviewed the scene: Bulkhead in vehicle mode, allowing Miko to cry on his seats; Ratchet sifting through Flame's computers, transferring the data to a Cybertronian external drive; Bumblebee and Arcee standing vigil over Flame's corpse, loaded on a flatbed trailer for transport.

Ratchet soon pulled Optimus over for some private talk; "Once we've dealt with the funeral, there's other stuff to take care of; First, we may need to give you a recharge, after having used the Matrix in such a way...we may need to use the enriched Energon for that. Don't worry, I've got it fully analyzed, thanks in part to our departed friend."

"Yes, Ratchet...And before you ask, I don't believe I'll be using this method against Megatron; It tried to save Flame, but there's nothing in him that Primus would find worth saving...You know, if you look at it the right way, I was one moral principle away from accepting Flame's offer to use the Terrorcons as weapons."

Ratchet didn't reply...but Arcee did: "That gives me an idea for an epitaph: He always pursued his passions...but only once lost sight of his morals."

"I'm sure he would be proud." Optimus said, meaning every word.

"Took me long enough to see the good in him." Arcee said regretfully.

"If only we were able to see things like that sooner, Arcee. If only..."

Autobot Outpost Omega-1 was silent for most of the next week.

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"_Life, Death, Time, Reality...philosophers have puzzled over the meaning of these for millenia...but the answers they give are useless to the logical mind, and often contradictory. I seek the objective truth about these things. And through Dark Energon, these truths will finally be within our grasp. Nothing will ever be the same. Instead, it will be better."_

"_Even though it is only you, the High Council, who know of my work; I promise, when I am done, all Autobots of Cybertron will share the benefits of the new age of knowledge...and use them wisely. Thus becoming the champions of justice, peace, and freedom that Primus envisioned when he created us. Remember this day; for today, history has been made."_

_And with that, Flame entered the spacecraft that took him to Trypticon Station, where he would begin his work._

))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

* * *

THE END.

Crying yet?

This final chapter was the most based off the City of Fear arc; where Flame used an army of zombies to attack his fellow Autobots, deluded in the belief that he was right and they were wrong.

Please leave a review, and tell me what you thought!


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